A post from Lily W., our CMF Style Coach:
To follow through in true “nose” form, I knew I had to tell you about my love for feathering my nest. I should add that I like to “feather” on a dime. I’ve even been known to dumpster-dive on occasion, but that’s our little secret. I never thought of myself as an artist or designer – it was something that grew from necessity and knowing how to be resourceful.
I didn’t always know this about me, but I really like making people and things more beautiful. Whether it’s through an encouraging word, highlighting a friend’s hair, or doing a makeover on a face or piece of furniture. I love transformations!
I am not the girl who goes to the furniture store and picks out something new. I like finding things at flea markets, antique stores, yard sales, and sometimes yes, even curbside. I recently was featured in a new show on the Oprah Winfrey Network airing this Summer. The show was all about extreme savings meets designing/party planning. The producers and camera crews came to my home and filmed me showing them all my furniture freebies and deals that I’ve found and transformed into pieces that are uniquely me. It was the preclude to the real challenge, where I was flown to another state to host a party for a family, all on a dime!
Being followed by a crew through my home and showing them all I’ve done, made me realize just how much I love each thing I’ve found through the years. I love sharing tips with others and thought I would encourage you, today, to be a little more daring. Whether it’s scouting out a unique piece of furniture at your local Goodwill and painting it or just sprucing up a wall in your home with a fresh coat of paint, it’s worth taking the time to do something fresh and fancy for yourself.
Like my sweet friend, The Nester, always says, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.” I love that tagline because it makes me more confident to try decorating ideas that I may never have before. For example, I painted a beautiful old sideboard hot pink a couple months ago. I was terrified because the wood was dark and beautiful, and hot pink might look ridiculous in my dining room. But knowing that it wasn’t perfection I was after, but a uniquely me “look” – I attempted it and was so happy with the result.
I also took Liquid Nails and glued mirror tiles all over the very same dining room’s wall – and hot glued little flowers on it. I had seen something similar at a mansion in Belmont while filming Showtime’s Homeland and knew I could make it in my home. I have countless pieces in my home that were re-painted, distressed, and painted again. All of them tell a story. All of them were a bargain, I was proud to find and not afraid to ruin because of the cost.
Right now I am re-painting an old dark wood desk. My friend found it for me at a church yard sale. I always know when I get a call at 7am on a Saturday that it’s my loyal bargain finder friend. “You’ve got to get up and get down here now!! I found you a desk!!!” It was $30.00. When I’m done with it, it will look like a $1000 Ballard Design piece. Now that is a good find!
So this weekend, why not go out hunting for something you can transform? Maybe it’s a coffee table whose old dark wood is screaming for some Behr “Seaside Sand” or maybe it’s an accent wall in your hallway that needs a little life and color! Don’t be afraid to try something new, and make your home your footprint. Or should we say, our “nose print”?
***Lily is the lady behind Padalily! The fabulous infant car seat cushions! Have any comments, feedback, or topics that you’d like to see Lily give advice on? Leave a comment below! She’ll be answering any questions you have and would love to hear what you’d like to see her blog about!***
Love these ideas! Especially the concept that it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. I think it helps us be a bit “braver” than we otherwise might be. Now…if you can just help us learn how to be patient during these transformation projects!
Sounds like me. It’s kind of fun slowly furnishing our new house. I look on Craigslist daily. Does Lily have price points she won’t exceed? Like, would she have paid $100 for that desk?
Great article! You have inspired me to be courageous enough to re-paint my bedroom furniture. I’ve been too scared to do it, but now I’ve decided to go for it. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your comments! As much as I try and find things free or close to it, there are some things that I know are worth more and I will stretch my price point for those. I love Craigslist too, and if I see a beautiful vanity or large kitchen hutch for $100, I might pay it because I know it’s function should be counted valuable. I would not have paid $100 for the desk, because I didn’t need it. If I don’t need it as a functional piece in my home, then I try not to spend more than $50. So $30 was perfect, and I have decided to use it as a game/puzzle/writing table in our great room… so it will have a function after all! Yay! 🙂